About Asteroid Dodge
Asteroid Dodge is a free 150-second space arcade game. Steer your spacecraft through an asteroid field in three phases that speeds up in waves, collect repair kits, science orbs and power-ups, and reach the safe zone before your hull runs out. It works with a mouse, a touch screen or the keyboard.
Asteroids, damage and fair hitboxes
| Type | Damage | Collision radius |
|---|---|---|
| Small debris | half a heart | 6 px (70% of its 8 px drawn radius) |
| Zigzag debris | half a heart | 6 px (70% of its 8 px drawn radius) |
| Medium rock | one heart | 13 px (70% of its 18 px drawn radius) |
| Large rock | one heart | 25 px (70% of its 36 px drawn radius) |
Controls
- Mouse, or drag on a touch screen: Steer: the ship accelerates and drifts toward your pointer. On a touch screen, drag in the lower 60% of the field; the offset keeps your finger from covering the ship
- Arrow keys or WASD: Steer with acceleration and friction
- Launch button, P or Space: Start, then pause and resume (the game also pauses when you switch tabs)
- R: Start over, any time
- H: Show hitboxes
What was real
- The main asteroid belt lies roughly 2.1 to 3.3 times the Earth-Sun distance from the Sun, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
- Despite the movie image, the belt is mostly empty space: all its asteroids together have less mass than Earth's Moon.
- Pioneer 10, in 1972 and 1973, was the first spacecraft to cross the belt, and it passed through without a close call.
Asteroid Dodge FAQ
How do I win Asteroid Dodge?
Survive 150 seconds without your hull reaching zero. The run has three 50-second phases: Asteroid Belt, Dense Field and Core Rush. The field speeds up in a slow wave rather than a straight line, and every 25 seconds a 4-second breather drops only science orbs. If you make it, your ship warps into the safe zone, and you can carry on in endless mode for double points.
How does the hull and damage work?
You start with 3 hearts of hull and can hold up to 5. Small debris costs half a heart, medium and large rocks cost a full heart. A repair kit heals a full heart and one is guaranteed every 18 seconds. After a hit you are invincible for 0.8 seconds.
Is the collision fair?
Yes. Collisions use circles: your ship's hitbox has a 14 px radius and each asteroid's hitbox is 70% of its drawn radius (about 6 px for small debris and 25 px for the largest rocks). Press H in the game to see them.
What are the power-ups?
The cyan shield makes you invincible for 5 seconds and destroys any asteroid it touches (large rocks break into two medium ones, and big rocks sometimes drop a repair kit). The purple slow-field halves the speed of the field for 4 seconds. The red magnet pulls science orbs to you for 6 seconds. Science orbs give 50 points, ×1.1 more for each one grabbed within 3 seconds of the last.
Are real asteroid belts this crowded?
No. The main asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, but it is mostly empty space, and spacecraft such as Pioneer 10, the first to cross it, passed through without needing to dodge anything.
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